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Bhaimi Ekadasi (Jaya Ekadasi) It
is said that if one observes upavasa on this day then one receives
entrance to Visnu's abode, even though one has not performed the
other vratas of the year. NOTE: The half day fast (vrata) for the
appearance of Lord Varahadev is also observed on this Ekadasi day,
and the utsav (festival celebration - pujas and feasting, etc.) is
observed on the Dvadasi, which is when He
appeared.

Yudhisthira Maharaj said, "Oh Lord of the lords, Sri Krishna, all
glories unto You! Oh Master of the universe, You alone are the
source of the four types of living entities " those born from eggs,
" those born from perspiration, " those born from seeds and " those
born from embryos. You alone are the root cause of all, Oh Lord,
and therefore You are the creator, maintainer and destroyer. "My
Lord, You have so kindly explained to me the auspicious day known
as Sat-tila Ekadasi, which occurs during the dark fortnight
(krishna paksha) of the month of Magha (January - February). Now
please explain to me the Ekadasi that occurs in the light fortnight
(shukla or Gaura paksha) of this month. By what name is it known,
and what is the process for observing it? Who is the presiding
Deity that is to be worshipped on this sublime day, which is so
very dear to You? Lord Sri Krishna replied, "Oh Yudhisthira, I
shall gladly tell you about the Ekadasi that occurs during the
light half of this month of Magha.

This Ekadasi obliterates all
kinds of sinful reactions and demoniac influences that may be
affecting the spirit soul. It is known as Jaya Ekadasi, and the
fortunate soul who observes a fast on this sacred day is relieved
of the great burden of ghostly existence. Thus there is no better
Ekadasi than this, for it truly bestows freedom from birth and
death. It is to be honoured very carefully and diligently. So you
to listen to Me very attentively, Oh Pandava, as I explain a
wonderful historic episode regarding this Ekadasi, an episode that
I have already related in the Padma Purana. Long, long ago in the
heavenly planets, Lord Indra ruled his celestial kingdom very
nicely, and all the devas (demigods) living there were very happy
and content. In Nandana Forest, which was beautifully graced with
Parijata Flowers, Indra drank ambrosia whenever he liked and
enjoyed the service of fifty million celestial maidens, the
Apsaras, who danced in ecstasy for his pleasure. Many singers, led
by Pushpadanta, sang in sweet voices beyond compare. Chitrasena,
Indra's chief musician was there in the company of his wife Malini
and his handsome son Malyavan. An Apsara named Pushpavati became
very much attracted to Malyavan; indeed Cupid's sharp arrows
pierced the core of her heart. Her beautiful body and complexion,
along with the enchanting movements of her eyebrows, captivated
Malayavan. "Oh King, listen as I describe the splendid beauty of
Pushpavati: She has incomparably graceful arms with which to
embrace a man like a fine silken noose; her face resembles the
Moon; her lotus eyes reached almost to her lovely ears, which were
adorned with wonderful and costly ear-rings; her thin, ornamented
neck looked like a conch, having three lines; her waist was very
slender, the size of a fist; her hips were broad, and her thighs
like the trunks of banana trees; her naturally beautiful features
were complemented by gorgeous ornaments and garments; her breasts
were highly raised emphasizing her prime of youth; and to look upon
her feet was to behold newly grown red lotuses. Seeing Pushpavati
in all her heavenly beauty, Malyavan was bewitched at once.

They
had come with the other performers to please Lord Indra by singing
and dancing enchantingly, but because they had become so enamored
of each other, pierced through the heart by the arrows of Cupid,
lust personified, they were utterly unable to sing or dance
properly before the lord and master of the heavenly realms. Their
pronunciation was wrong and their rhythm careless. Lord Indra
understood the source of the errors at once. Offended at the
discord in the musical performance, he became very angry and
screamed, "You useless fools! You pretend to sing for me while in a
stupour of infatuation with each other! You are mocking me! I curse
you both to suffer henceforth as pisachas (hobgoblins). As husband
and wife, go to the earthly regions and reap the reactions of your
offenses.' Struck dumb by these harsh words, Malyavan and
Pushpavati at once became morose and fell from the beautiful
Nandana Forest in the kingdom of heaven to a Himalayan peak here on
planet Earth. Immeasurably distressed, and their celestial
intelligence vastly diminished by the effects of lord Indra's
fierce curse, they lost their sense of taste and smell, and even
their sense of touch. It was so cold and miserable high on the
Himalayan wastes of snow and ice that they could not even enjoy the
oblivion of sleep. "Roaming aimlessly hither and thither in those
harsh altitudes, Malyavan and Pushpavati suffered more and more,
from one moment to the next. Even though they were situated in a
cave, because of the snowfall and cold their teeth chattered
ceaselessly, and their hair stood on end because of their fright
and bewilderment. In this utterly desperate situation, Malyavan
said to Pushpavati, 'What abominable sins did we commit to have to
suffer in these pisacha bodies, in this impossible environment?
This is absolutely hellish! Though hell is very ferocious, the
suffering we are undergoing here is even more abominable.

Therefore
it is abundantly clear that one should never commit sins." And so
the forlorn lovers trudged onward in the snow and ice. By their
great good fortune, however, it so happened that very day was the
all auspicious Jaya (Bhaimi) Ekadasi, the Ekadasi of the light
fortnight of the month of Magha. Because of their misery they
neglected to drink any water, kill any game, or even eat whatever
fruits and leaves were available at that altitude, they unknowingly
observed Ekadasi by fasting completely from all food and drink.
Sunk in misery Malyavn and Pushpavati collapsed beneath a Pipal
tree and did not even try to get up. The Sun had set by that time.
The night was even colder and more miserable than the day. They
shivered in the frigid snowfall as their teeth chattered in unison,
and when they became numb, they embraced just to keep warm. Locked
in each others arms, they could not enjoy neither sleep nor sex.
Thus they suffered through the whole night under the powerful curse
of the deva Indra. "Still, Oh Yudhisthira, by the mercy of the fast
they had by chance (unknowingly) observed on Jaya Ekadasi, and
because they had remained awake all night, they were blessed.
Please hear what happened on the next day. As Dwdasi dawned,
Malyavn and Pushpavati had given up their demoniac forms and were
once again beautiful heavenly beings wearing lustrous ornaments and
exquisite garments. As they both looked at each other in amazement,
a celestial airplane (vimana) arrived on the spot for them. A
chorus of heavenly denizens sang their praises as the reformed
couple stepped into the beautiful aircraft and proceeded directly
to the heavenly regions, buoyed up by the good wishes of everyone.
Soon Malyavan and Pushpavati arrived at Amaravati, Lord Indra's
capital city, and then they immediately went before their lord
(Indradev) and offered him their cheerful obeisances. "Lord Indra
was astonished to see that they had been transformed, restored to
their original status and forms so soon after he had cursed them to
suffer as demons far, far below his celestial kingdom. Indradeva
ask of them, 'What extraordinary meritorious deeds have you
performed so that you could give up your pisacha bodies so quickly
after I cursed you? Who released you from my irresistible curse?
"Malyavan replied, 'Oh lord, it was by the extreme mercy of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna (Vasudeva) and
also by the powerful influence of the Jaya Ekadasi, that we were
released from our suffering condition as pisachas. This is the
truth, Oh master, because we executed devotional service to Lord
Vishnu (even performed unknowingly - by ajnata sukriti) by
observing the day most dear to Him, we have happily been restored
to our former status." "Indradev then said, 'Because you served the
Supreme Lord Sri Keshava by observing Ekadasi, you have become
worshippable even by me, and I can see that you are now completely
purified of sin. Whosoever engages in devotional service to Lord
Sri Hari or Lord Shiva becomes praiseworthy and worshippable even
by me.

Of this there is no doubt.' Lord Indradev then gave Malyavan
and Pushpavati free rein to enjoy each other and wander about his
heavenly planet as they wished. "Therefore, Oh Maharaj Yudhisthira,
one should strictly observe a fast on the sacred day of Lord Hari,
especially on this Jaya Ekadasi, which frees one from the sin of
killing even a twice born brahmin. A great soul who observes this
fast with full faith and devotion has in effect given all kinds of
charity, performed all kinds of sacrifice, and bathed in all the
Holy places of pilgrimage. Fasting on Jaya Ekadasi qualifies one to
reside in Vaikuntha and enjoy unending happiness for billions of
yugas - indeed, forever as the soul is eternal.

Oh great king, Lord
Sri Krishna continued, one who even hears or reads these wonderful
glories of Jaya Ekadasi achieves the blessed merit attained by
performing an Agnistoma fire sacrifice, during which the hymns from
the Sama-veda are recited." Note on Cupid: Kamadeva, lust
personified, has five names according to the Amara-kosha
dictionary: kandarpa darpako 'nanga kamah pancha-sharaih smarah
"Cupid has five names; (1) Cupid; (2) Darpaka, 'he who prevents
future events'; (3) Ananga, 'he who has no physical body'; (4)
Kama, 'lust personified'; and (5) Pancha-sharaih, 'he who holds
five arrows' ". Kandarpa: In the tenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita
(BG 10:28.) Lord Sri Krishna says, prajanash casmi kandarpah; "Of
causes for procreation, I am Kandarpa". The word Kandarpa also
means "very beautiful". Kandarpa appeared as Lord Krishna's son
Pradyumna in Dwaraka.

Darpaka: This name indicates that Cupid can
perceive what is to take place and prevent it from happening.
Specifically, he tries to impede pure spiritual activity by
alluring one's mind and forcibly engaging one in material sense
enjoyment. Ananga: Once, when Cupid disturbed the meditation of
Lord Shiva, that powerful deva (demigod) burned him (Cupid) to
ashes. Still, Shiva gave Cupid the benediction that he would act in
the world even without a physical body - like a ghost. Kama: In
Bhagavad Gita BG 7:11.) Lord Sri Krishna says, dharmaviruddho
bhuteshu kamo'smi: "I am sex life which is not contrary to
religious principles." Pancha-sharaih: The five arrows with which
Cupid pierces the mind of the living entities are taste, touch,
sound, smell, and sight. These are the five names of the empowered
deva Cupid, who enchants all living entities and makes them do
whatever he wants. Without receiving the mercy of Guru and Krishna
one cannot resist his power. Thus ends the narration of the glories
of Magha-shukla Ekadasii, or Jaya Ekadasi, from the
Bhavishya-uttara Purana.